Ostensibly exploring the practice of law before the internet. Heck, before good highways for that matter.

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Blog Mirror: Some Gave All: James Bridger's Ferry

I generally try not to post an entry on one of our (less published on) blogs entact here, save for courthouse and church photographic entries, but recently I had a couple that so related to changes in history, and indeed over the time upon which this blog theoretically focuses upon, that I've done that more than usual. Here's one such item, James Bridger's Ferry.

This was put up on our blog on monuments, but it is also now on our regular photograph blog, Holscher's Hub, and on our Railroad blog, Railhead. I'm posting it here, as it says quite a bit about changes in transportation over the years. Here was have a location for a mid 19th Century ferry, that became a late 19th Century railroad bridge location, and then a state highway bridge location.

Note also, this says something, perhaps a little sad, about the nature of modern highways and how they're more efficient, but how they are also less part of things, in some ways. This monument, put up in a location near the ferry site, is pretty much now never seen except by local traffic. This is probably only a mile or so away from the Interstate highway, but no such monument appears there. And the highway itself, that this monument is located on, was located between Orin Junction and Wheatland Wyoming. Now the Interstate bypasses Orin Junction entirely and it really only zips by Wheatland. For that matter, there isn't a single town on the I 25 that, in Wyoming, you really have to stop in, while traveling the Interstate, except to get fuel if you need it.

This is one of Wyoming's many roadside monuments that's not longer really road side. This monument is on the old highway that ran from Orin Junction to Wheatland. When the Interstate was built, Orin Junction was bypassed and for that matter, the Interstate zips through, not into, Wheatland. Many such monuments exist, a few of which are now completely marooned. This one commemorates Jim Bridger's ferry across the North Platte River, which was placed in 1864.

A Burlington Norther Railroad Bridge, which itself isn't youthful, very near where the ferry once was.

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Lex Anteinternet?

This blog has been around since 2009. In the very first post, we asked the question: "What the heck is this blog about?"

Our answer to the question was: "The intent of this blog is to try to explore and learn a few things about the practice of law prior to the current era. That is, prior to the internet, prior to easy roads, and the like. How did it work, how regional was it, how did lawyers perceive their roles, and how were they perceived?"

We also noted: "Part of the reason for this, quite frankly, has something to do with minor research for a very slow moving book."

All of this is still true, but the focus of the blog has changed somewhat. It now focuses on the era from 1890 to 1920 in general, rather than on the law and lawyers specifically, although that may be far from obvious. It's also become the location where we comment on anything we feel moved to comment on.

We hope you'll feel moved to comment as well. While we moderate every comment, so as to weed out Spam, we greatly appreciate the comments where they are offered, and hope to see more.

On This Day In Wyoming History

In addition to being the frequent blogger here, I'm also the author of On This Day In Wyoming History, a book cataloging the daily history of Wyoming. More on that book can be discovered by following the link.

I'm also the author of a number of articles that have been published by various journals, including The Wyoming Lawyer and Rural Heritage. Topics of my published articles range from legal and agricultural topics to historical topics.